Dimitry Z. Manuilsky: "Today, of course, we are not strong enough to attack.... To win we shall need the element of surprise. The bourgeoisie will have to be put to sleep. So we shall begin by launching the most spectacular peace movement on record. There will be electrifying overtures and unheard of concessions. The capitalist countries, stupid and decadent, will rejoice to cooperate in their own destruction. They will jump at another chance to be friends. As soon as their guard is down, we shall smash them with our clenched fist."12
Illegal Operations
Student: "Perhaps this helps to explain why the Communist strategists have never been able to take over a single country by persuasion or by the popular election of legal candidates. Must you Communists always resort to subversion and illegal political operations?"
Lenin: "The absolute necessity in principal of combining illegal with legal work is determined not only by the sum total of the specific features of the present period ... but also by the necessity of proving to the bourgeoisie that there is not, nor can there be, a sphere or field of work that cannot be won by the Communists.... It is necessary, immediately, for all legal Communist Parties to form illegal organizations for the purpose of systematically carrying on illegal work, and of fully preparing for the moment when the bourgeoisie resorts to persecution. Illegal work is particularly necessary in the army, the navy and police."13
Student: "What happens to a person who is selected for illegal operations?"
Lenin: "A working class agitator who in any way shows talent and promise should not work eleven hours a day in a factory. We should see to it that he lives on the funds of the Party, that he is able in good time to adopt an illegal manner of existence, that he has the opportunity of changing his sphere of activities; otherwise he will not gain experience, he will not broaden his outlook, and will not be able to hold out for at most several years in the struggle against the police."14
Revolutionary Violence
Student: "Could an American who might be converted to Communism belong to the Party but still hold out for peaceful reform instead of revolutionary violence?"
Lenin: "It is not enough to take sides in the question of political slogans; we must take sides also in the question of an armed uprising. Those who are opposed to armed uprising, those who do not prepare for it, must be ruthlessly cast out of the ranks of the supporters of the revolution and sent back to the ranks of its enemies, of the traitors or cowards; for the day is approaching when the force of events and conditions of the struggle will compel us to separate enemies from friends according to this principle."15
Student: "Then apparently you believe social progress is possible only by revolutionary violence rather than by legislative reform?"
Lenin: "Marxists have never forgotten that violence will be an inevitable accompaniment of the collapse of capitalism on its full scale and of the birth of a socialist society. And this violence will cover a historical period; a whole era of wars of the most varied kinds -- imperialist wars, civil wars within the country, the interweaving of the former with the latter, national wars, the emancipation of the nationalities crushed by the imperialist powers which will inevitably form various alliances with each other in the era of vast state-capitalist and military trusts and syndicates. This is an era of tremendous collapses, of wholesale military decisions of a violent nature, of crises. It has already begun, we see it clearly -- it is only the beginning."16
Student: "Do you mean it is impossible for an American to be a true Communist without betraying his own country?"
Lenin: "Hatred for one's own government and one's own bourgeoisie -- the sentiment of all class conscious workers ... is a banal phrase if it does not mean revolution against their own governments. It is impossible to rouse hatred against one's own government and one's own bourgeoisie without desiring their defeat."17
Student: "Would an American Communist be expected to engage in subversive and disloyal activities even if the United States were at war?"
Lenin: "A revolutionary class in a reactionary war cannot but desire the defeat of its government.... And revolutionary action in wartime against one's own government undoubtedly and incontrovertibly means not only desiring its defeat, but really facilitating such defeat."18
Student: "But if you are so anxious to break down loyalty to individual governments why you do insist on American Communists maintaining a loyalty toward the USSR?"
Official Statement: "In view of the fact that the USSR is the only fatherland of the international proletariat, the principle bulwark of its achievements and the most important factor for its international emancipation, the international proletariat must on its part facilitate the success of the work of socialist construction in the USSR and defend it against the attacks of the capitalist powers by all the means in its power."19
Student: "In other words -- and to be more specific -- you are against nationalism except when applied to the USSR?
P. E. Vyshinsky: "The defense of the USSR, as of the socialist motherland of the world proletariat, is the holy duty of every honest man everywhere and not only of the citizens of the USSR."20
Student: "If American Communists are expected overthrow their own Government and serve the interests of the USSR, would that not make them anarchists and insurrectionists?"
Lenin: "Only insurrection can guarantee the victory of the revolution."21
Lenin: "The revolution confronts us directly with the problem of armed insurrection. And to speak of this without proper technical preparations, is merely to mouth empty phrases. He who wants the revolution must systematically prepare for it the broad masses, which will, in the process of preparation, create the necessary organs of the struggle."22
Student: "And all this for the violent overthrow of the Government?"
Lenin: "The purpose of insurrection must be not only the complete destruction, or removal of all local authorities and their replacement by new ... but also the expulsion of the landlords and the seizure of their lands."23
War And Peace
Student: "Does not such an inflammatory policy completely contradict your widely publicized program for a peace offensive?"
Official Statement: "Complete Communism will know no more war. A real, assured people's peace is possible only under Communism. But the goal cannot be reached by peaceful, 'pacifist' means; on the contrary, it can be reached only by civil war against the bourgeoisie."24
Student: "In other words, Communists in all countries constitute a war party rather than a political party designed to promote peace?"
Official Statement: "In the capitalist world today, the revolutionary proletariat supports the war of defense of the proletarian state (the USSR) against the imperialist states."25
Student: "But the Soviet Union has consistently waged or encouraged wars of aggression. How can you conscientiously support these?"
Official Statement: "Every war of the Soviet Union is a war of defense, even if it is conducted with offensive means."26
Student: "If you are going to call all Soviet wars 'defensive' even when you admit she is using 'offensive means' what will be your attitude toward other nations which maintain heavy armaments simply as a defense against Communist aggression?"
Official Statement: (We stand for the) "systematic exposure and stigmatizing of all capitalist armaments, war pacts and war preparations and especially of the defense of the Soviet Union against the league of the imperialists."27
Student: "Are the Communist leaders expecting a spontaneous uprising in various countries or will they order their followers to engineer an uprising?"
Lenin: "If the situation is ripe for a popular uprising, in view of the fact that the revolution in social relationships has already taken place, and if we have prepared for it, we can order an uprising."28
Student: "What methods would you use to overthrow the Government?"
Lenin: "Riots -- demonstrations -- street battles -- detachments of a revolutionary army -- such are the stages in the development of
the popular uprising."29
Student: "Based on experience, what are the most ideal circumstances for a successful insurrection?"
Lenin: "Combining of a mass political strike with an armed uprising."30
The Communist International
Student: "Originally, what did you say about the organization which was supposed to run the world revolution?"
Official Statement: "The Communist International is the concentrated will of the world revolutionary proletariat. Its mission is to organize the working class of the world for the overthrow of the capitalist system and the establishment of Communism. The Communist International is a fighting body and assumes the task of combining the revolutionary forces of every country."31
Student: "Was the purpose of the Communist International to spread dissension and build the Red Army?"
Official Statement: "In order to overthrow the international bourgeoisie and to create an International Soviet Republic as a transition stage to the Communist Society, the Communist International will use all means at its disposal, including force of arms."32
Stalin: "The tasks of the Party in foreign policy are: 1 -- to utilize each and every contradiction and conflict among the surrounding capitalist groups and governments for the purpose of disintegrating imperialism; 2 -- to spare no pains or means to render assistance to the proletarian revolution in the West; 3 -- to take all necessary measures to strengthen the Red Army."33
Student: "What was the program of the Communist International?"
Official Statement: "The Communist International must devote itself especially to ... everyday organization work ... in the course of which work legal methods must unfailingly be combined with illegal methods; organized work in the army and navy -- such must be the activity of the Communist Parties in this connection. The fundamental slogans of the Communist International in this connection must be the following:
"Convert imperialist war into civil war;
"Defeat 'your own' imperialist government;
"Defend the USSR and the colonies by every means in the event of imperialist war against them."34
Student: "Did the Communist International depend upon Communist parties in various countries or did it operate independently?"
Official Statement: "The successful struggle of the Communist International for the dictatorship of the proletariat presupposes the existence in every country of a compact Communist Party hardened in the struggle, disciplined, centralized, and closely linked to the masses."35
Student: "What was the obligation of an organization such as the Communist Party of America when it affiliated with the Communist International?"
Official Statement: "Each party desirous of affiliating to the Communist International should be obliged to render every possible assistance to the Soviet Republics in their struggle against all counter-revolutionary forces. The Communist parties should carry on a precise and definite propaganda to induce the workers to refuse to transport any kind of military equipment intended for fighting against the Soviet Republics, and should also by legal or illegal means carry on a propaganda amongst the troops sent against the workers' republics, etc."36
Student: "Was it intended from the beginning that Communist leaders in Russia would dictate the policies of the Communist Party of America?"
Earl Browder: "The Communist Parties of the various countries are the direct representatives of the Communist International, and thus, indirectly of the aims and policies of Soviet Russia."37
Official Statement: "Representatives of Soviet Russia in various countries, engaging in political activities, should co-ordinate these activities in some form or other with the activities and policies of the respective Communist Parties."38
Alexander Trachtenberg: "Consistently supporting the Soviet Union since its inception, American Communists were acting as internationalists and as Americans."39
Student: "In 1943 the Communist International was suddenly dissolved. Was this designed to pacify a rising wave of anti-Communist sentiments during World War II?"
Hans Berger: "Since correct strategy consists in uniting and concentrating all forces against the common enemy, necessitating the elimination of everything which makes such unification and concentration difficult, therefore, the dissolution of the Communist International, decided upon unanimously by the Communist Parties, was doubtless an act in the interests of facilitating victory over the fascist enemy."40
Student: "Did the dissolution of the Communist International result in a weakening of the solidarity between Communist Parties throughout the world?"
Hans Berger: "Among the reasons which the leaders of the Communist Parties considered in supporting the dissolution of the Communist International was doubtless the question of strengthening the Communist Parties."41
Student: "Did it weaken the plans for world revolution?"
Hans Berger: "The Communist Parties have thus never sacrificed their Marxist-Leninist principles, which know no boundaries, and which can never be given up by them, but guided by their principles fight on with the utmost consistency."42
Student: "Would this represent the official view of the Communist Party of America?"
Gil Green: "Since November, 1940, our Party has not been an affiliate of the Communist International and has had no organizational ties with it. But who can deny that our Party has nonetheless fulfilled its obligation to the American Working class and people and in this way to the working class and people of the world?"43
"Nor is the further existence of the Communist International necessary as the living embodiment of the principle of internationalism and international working class solidarity. The fight for internationalism has not disappeared. It has been raised to new and more glorious heights."44
"The dissolution of the Communist International does not, therefore, mark a step backward.... Millions all over the world live, work and fight under the bright banner of Marxism." 45
Diplomatic Intrigue
Student: "During World War II what did Stalin say the Russian policy was toward nations which were then under Nazi domination?"
Stalin: "We are waging a just war for our country and our freedom. It is not our aim to seize foreign lands or to subjugate foreign people. Our aim is clear and noble. We want to free our Soviet land of the German-Fascist scoundrels. We want to free our Ukrainian, Moldavian, Byelorussian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian and Karelian brothers from the outrage and violence to which they are being subjected by the German-Fascist scoundrels....
"We have not and cannot have such war aims as the imposition of our will and regime on the slavs and other enslaved peoples of Europe who are awaiting our aid. Our aim consists in assisting these people in their struggle for liberation from Hitler's tyranny and then setting them free to rule in their own lands as they desire."46
Student: "What excuse could Stalin and the Communist leaders have for doing the very opposite of what they had promised?"
Lenin: "The strictest loyalty to the ideas of Communism must be combined with the ability to make all necessary practical compromises, to maneuver, to make agreements, zigzags, retreats and so on, so as to accelerate the coming to power."47
Stalin: "Sincere diplomacy is no more possible than dry water or iron wood."48
Ethics and Morals
Student: "Doesn't this approach to international relations sound more like a criminal code of conduct rather than sincere diplomacy? Does Communist Morality permit this?"
Lenin: "We say: Morality is that which serves to destroy the old exploiting society and to unite all the toilers around the proletariat, which is creating a new Communist society. Communist morality is the morality which serves this struggle...."49
Official Statement: "Morals or ethics is the body of norms and rules on the conduct of Soviet peoples. At the root of Communist morality, said Lenin, lays the struggle for the consolidation and the completion of Communism. Therefore, from the point of view of Communist morality, only those acts are moral which contribute to t
he building up of a new Communist society."50
Student: "But this sounds like an excuse for doing whatever one may find expedient rather than following a system of rules for right living. Assuming Communism was right; would that justify a communist in lying, stealing or killing to put Communism into effect?"
William Z. Foster: "With him the end justifies the means. Whether his tactics be 'legal' and 'moral,' or not, does not concern him, so long as they are effective. He knows that the laws as well as the current code of morals are made by his mortal enemies.... Consequently, he ignores them in so far as he is able and it suits his purposes. He proposes to develop, regardless of capitalist conceptions of 'legality,' 'fairness,' 'right,' etc., a greater power than his capitalist enemies have."51
Student: "Would you then deny the possibility of there being an eternal, God-given code for moral or ethical conduct?"